"I canna believe that what I feel for her is no' real." He raked his fingers through his hair. "Would you want me, knowing I will never love you?"
The princess stood and crossed to him. "I can change how you feel about me. If you'll take me to your bed, in nine months you'll welcome our first child to the world."
If? So they haven't slept together?
"Think of it, we'll start the family you've always wanted - the family that you can only have with me. Things will be wonderful. I'll make you happy, and you'll keep me safe. Just as providence intended."
Gods, she's good.
"I'm sorry, Mariah, truly sorry for all you've been through. And I will help you find another male, a good protector - one who would love you as you deserve. I'll help you in any way I can."
He was truly telling the fey this!
Of course, Mari had known that leaving Bowen hurt, but she hadn't acknowledged how utterly devastated she'd been, until there was hope of being with him once more. Mari could help Bowen find someone for the princess - setting her up with another male was the ideal solution! Mari would be on the horn to Rydstrom and Cade directly. Hell, the princess was tall and blond - Acton would love her.
Mari frowned to herself. Would she actually set up her first love with another female just so she could have Bowen?
In a freaking heartbeat.
But Princess Mariah wasn't giving up yet... "I surrendered my soul for you." She'd begun softly crying, and her tears were obviously killing him. "And you made an oath to me before you did to her. Can't you at least give us a chance? Don't you think you owe me that?"
"I do owe you that."
Mari's heart fell.
"But I canna live without Mariketa," he said, and Mari's eyes widened. "I will no'."
The princess was now openly weeping, and Bowen's expression clearly told how agonized he was about this.
"You - a loyal Lykae - would break your vows to your mate and give up your only chance for children, all for something that isn't even real? For a witch?"
Though he looked as if he was about to double over with guilt and shame, he still said, "Mariah, I will no' be moved from this. If I canna live with that witch, then I'd rather no' live at all."
Mari gasped. At once, Mariah's head whipped around, her eyes narrowing on the mirror.
There was no way she could have heard, and yet even now she seemed to be staring directly at Mari.
Impossible. Unless...
Mari broke away from the mirror. "Oh, great Hekate!"
Or rather, the great Häxa - wearing a false face. Mariah had never returned, had never been resurrected. This was all Häxa, and the sorceress was... feeding. Expertly building Bowen's misery, then seizing it.
"Elianna, Carrow, I'm going!" When they hurried into her room, she was yanking on a pair of canvas pants, with pockets along the sides - to be filled with as many mirrors as she could carry. "I've found her, found Häxa. She's wearing a false face, as Mariah. She's right through that mirror - currently feeding off my male!"
Wide-eyed, they gazed through the mirror.
Then with a sigh, Elianna said, "It figures - it's always either the butler or the resurrected mate."
As Mari frowned at that, Carrow asked Elianna, "Is Mari ready for this fight?"
Elianna seemed to force a smile. "Mari will never be more prepared to battle her than she is now."
Carrow was too jacked up with excitement to notice how cryptic Elianna's answer was, or how sad her eyes looked now.
But Mari got chills. I might die tonight.
"Here, Mari," Elianna said as she dug into her seemingly infinite apron pocket and pulled out a small, mirror-covered box. "Your parents wanted you to have these. They were made by druid weavers."
Mari took the box. Inside was a pair of fingerless gloves fashioned of a jet mesh. "Um, thanks?" They were striking, but maybe not so apropos just now. Mari's mentor was as befuddled as ever.
Elianna scrunched her lips. "Just turn them over."
When Mari did, her eyes widened, and she breathed, "Things - just - got - interesting."
Lining each of the palms was a mirror - made of spun-glass threading. The mirror mesh was perfectly flexible, smooth, and resilient. She slipped the gloves on, stunned by the fit, the soft fabric seeming to conform to her hands.
Elianna explained, "These gloves will be like megaphones for your power. And you'll always have them at hand, so to speak, if you want to rub them for focus."
"Lock and load, babee!" Carrow cried, more than ready to engage the sorceress. "Marines, we are leaving!"
But Häxa wasn't like a rogue demon or a malevolent phantom, where one additional spell could mean the difference between success or failure. The sorceress would simply use Mari's friends to wield them against her.
Just as Häxa would do with Bowen if she discovered how deeply Mari had fallen in love with him.
"I'm going alone."
"Alone?" Carrow blinked. "What did I tell you about things like this? It starts with 'Darwin says.' Come on, Mari, how many chances does a witch like me get to rid the world of ultimate evil?"
Knowing Carrow would continue protesting, Mari said, "I'll tell you what, let's compromise. You guys watch the fight through the mirror. If I get into trouble, then just crawl through and come rescue me. That's fair, right?" She said this even as she planned to block the portal to them.
Carrow seemed whipped with disappointment, but when Elianna said, "That's for the best," Carrow agreed to stay. "For now."
With that settled, Mari gazed out at her enemy. Any fear and doubts she'd had fired into outrage. This evil being had already devastated Mari's family, and now she seemed bent on using Bowen's feelings for Mari to torment the proud, stalwart warrior - the warrior who had chosen Mari over... everything.